"Past Curfew"

Animal Mania2 - Contest for January
Prompt 2                                           
Word Count: 1791

PRIZE WINNING ENTRY
Based on Sara's Tails - A book in progress!
                                                                      “Past Curfew”


    My name is Sara and I am a very lucky dog. Not too long ago my life was almost over.  One morning I saw my mom and dad carrying everything out of the house and loading all of it on to a truck. I watched them, passing by me numerous times, never saying a word. I took my teddy and waited near the door. They yelled at me to stay out of their way. Where were we going?
 
    When the house was finally empty, they walked right past me down the steps. I thought they were coming back to pick me up and take me with them. Watching them drive away, I cried after them, begging them to take me.

    That first day was long, leaving me waiting in vain. Why didn’t they take me? Just before dark, I grew very hungry and thirsty. I found some hard pizza in the garbage can and ate it all.  Taking my teddy, I crawled under the porch and went to sleep.  Trying to sound brave, I told teddy that maybe they just forgot to take us. We huddled together, waiting for them to come back in the morning.

    After several days of waiting with no food or water, there was nothing left to do but leave.  If teddy and I were going to survive, we must find a new place to live. Almost a full-bred Rhodesian Ridgeback, I instinctively knew how to hide and hunt. We walked far, keeping away from cars, learning to walk along the shoulder. I quickly learned that hot asphalt will burn pads. We crept under bushes to sleep in the shade.  I grew tired and exhausted. I grew too weak to hunt and became very thirsty. I felt we weren’t going to make it one more day.

    I found this dirt road and finally laid down under a huge mesquite tree.  No use hiding, I told teddy. Maybe someone will find us and bring us water and food. It was a quiet, dirt road, with only a few cars passing by.

    Exhausted and tired, the shade of the mesquite tree gave me shelter from the hot sun.  Closing my eyes, I just wanted to sleep. Clutching my teddy, I wondered if this is what it is like to die. 

    I dreamt that I heard this car stopping not too far past me. This woman got out and walked back towards me. I finally realized that this was not a dream. I began to shake and wondered what was going to happen to me next.

      “Hey little girl,” She said.  “Where did you come from?”

    I looked up at her, still shaking, wondering if I should run and hide again. Looking deep into my eyes, she saw copper-brown mixed with fear and confusion. Softly, her soothing voice persuaded me to come to her.  Although weak in the knees, I tried to stand, grabbing my teddy. Seeing the condition we were both in, she quickly picked us up and took us home. At this point, teddy and I wasn’t sure about anything.

    She nursed me around the clock. She posted signs everywhere and when no one claimed me, she and I were both happy. After discovering that she was the kindest person in the whole wide world, I knew I would never leave her. Teddy and I had found a new home. We have loving parents and have a wonderful large fenced in yard.  I even had a doggie door to go in and out whenever I wished. Imagine that!

                                               

****

    I love to have mom bath and brush me. Because my fur is so short, she says I’m just too easy. Discovering that I was afraid of deep water and hoses, she uses buckets instead. After rinsing, I run and prance in circles, giving her little snorts, bowing my head. She dries and brushes me until I look like a shiny copper penny. Always ending with a kiss on my forehead, she says, “You’re my little red pony.” 

    My new mom plays with me, takes me for rides in the car and even to the post office. Almost every day, we go to the park or we walk around the neighborhood. We live out in the desert and most roads lining our houses are made of dirt. There’s no hot asphalt either!

    When we go walking, we pass by my two new friends, Copper and Wolfer. They always look forward to joining us. I think they like the attention mom gives them, too. She carries treats for all of us in her right pocket and water. We don’t need leashes, because we are country dogs. I always bring my teddy along, even though mom advises me to leave him at home. I guess most people probably think I’m silly. Mom says it’s because I’m so needy and still feeling insecure about things.  Every now and then, I drop Teddy while I explore, but I never forget to go back for him. Copper and wolfer backtrack with me to go fetch him. Good friends seem to know these things.

    This one day, while taking one of our walks, I did forget teddy. I was having too much fun, hopping over the bushes and playing with the lizards. When it was bedtime, I remembered him. I whimpered and cried, begging mom to go get him.

    “We can’t go look for him tonight, Sara. I cannot believe that I forgot him, too. We will go back in the morning.” Giving me a warm hug, she gave me a furry stuffed toy dog to sleep with.  He wasn’t my teddy and I didn’t know how I was going to sleep without him.

    As I have mentioned, I have a large fenced back yard. with plenty of room to play. I practice leaping over bushes to see how high I can jump. I now can jump over our lower front wall to greet the mail lady and Ryan, our UPS guy. They give me treats and sometimes Ryan lets me hop onto his truck to get my treat. I practice hard because I know that one day, I will be able to jump high over the back fence and mom will be proud of me.

    Okay, back to what I was telling you. That same night, I tried to sleep but kept waking up. I had to have my teddy! I remembered where I had left him, way past Wolfer’s house, down at the corner.  I got to thinking that if I could jump over the back fence, I could go get him. I would be back long before mom missed me.  I ducked through my doggie door leading out into the back yard.  Thank goodness, it was a full moon!  I took a running leap and jumped high over the back fence. Yes! I did it!

    At grey hound speed, I quickly passed wolfers’ house, to the end of the street. There was teddy, near the prickly pear, right where I had left him. I snatched him up quickly and was on my way back.  Suddenly this black car raced by me, turning the corner. They were teenagers, yelling and laughing. When they saw me, they stopped and yelled even louder.

    “Hey, look at that dumb dog with that teddy in his mouth. Let’s catch him and have some real fun!”

    Their loud noises hurt my ears and their headlights made it hard for me to see. One of them jumped out of the car and started chasing me. He couldn’t catch me and started throwing rocks. One hit me hard on my hind leg and it really hurt. He hollered after me, but I didn’t stop to look back. I became so afraid. Teddy and I needed to get back home!  I stopped to lick my leg, when I saw this red stuff oozing out, warm and sticky. I was becoming very tired and I didn’t feel like running any more. My walk had become a limp and my back leg was beginning to swell. When I reached the gate, I could not make my jump. Uh, oh, I am in trouble now. There was nothing left to do but wait for mom in the morning. At least teddy and I were safe.

    The sun was coming up, when I heard the squeak of the gate. “Oh, Sara! Where have you been? We have been so worried!”

    “She’s hurt,” replied my dad.  We need to get her to the Vet right away.  Let’s get her into the car.  God forbid. Don’t forget her teddy.”

    “You just had to go get him, didn’t you little girl,” mom said in her unhappy voice.

    A short time later, we arrived at a place they call an animal hospital. Dad lifted me onto a table that was hard and cold. A smiling woman popped in and took my “temperature.” It was humiliating and very uncomfortable.  Even if I could have smiled back at her, I couldn't have. I stood frozen and stared straight ahead. Mom and dad assured me that these people in the white jackets,  are called “doctors." He said they are here to help, not to hurt me.  I guess you have to suffer before you get better? I don’t understand this at all. The doctor poked a needle above my back shoulder and I thought I had taken enough punishment for one day.  I didn't understand why I had no more feeling in my right side. I tried to lick it, but dad's strong grip around my neck prevented me from doing my job. I felt tugging and pulling as the doctor stitched me up. I didn’t feel much of anything and I wanted to go to sleep. The doctor gave mom a bottle of pills and instructions. He gave my poor dad the bill.

    “Keep her confined and quiet until she heals. We don’t want any infections to slow down the healing process,” the doctor explained, looking over his glasses. He looked so serious. Still, at this point, I wasn’t sure if this wasn’t some kind of punishment. Mom was nodding while stroking my head. I hated myself for causing my parents all this trouble. 

    I am healed now and I am back to feeling like my old self. Again, I owe mom and Dad. I hope they know how much I love them. I’ve learned one hard lesson, plus a few more.
   
    A girl shouldn’t be walking the streets alone, especially at night! She can get hurt that way! The next time we take our strolls, I’m leaving my teddy at home!

    I told you at the very beginning that I was a lucky dog...And I am!

                                                                The End



Written by Inker – January 13, 2010
Based on a novel that I am writing called, “Sara’s Tails”